Chair



Nov. 30, 1965 P. J. HEIQDRICKSON 3, 0,767

CHAIR Filed Jan. 29, 1964 4 I .770 35 Jill/[1771111111] /4 4a I N VEN TOR.

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United States Patent M 3,220,767 CHAIR Philip J. Hendrickson, Green Bay, Wis., assignor to Knit:- ger Metal Products Company, Green Bay, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Jan. 29, 1364, Ser. No. 349,956 Claims. (Cl. 297-219) This application is a continuation-in-part of Serial No. 253,369, filed January 23, 1963, now abandoned.

This invention relates generally to furniture and more particularly to an improved chair having slots in the seat thereof to receive cushion straps therethrough.

The purpose of this invention is to avoid objectionable chair construction wherein cushion straps thereof are trained externally over the sides of the seat portion of the chair, said arrangement lending itself to an opportunity for vandalism.

An object of this invention is the provision of a chair construction wherein the seat thereof is provided with aperture means for receiving the straps of a cushion adapted for said seat, thereby to hold said cushion securely in position, and to prevent its unauthorized removal.

Another object is to provide a chair structure having slots in the side portions of the seat thereof for receiving the straps of a cushion adapted for said seat, thereby disposing the engageable strap ends concealed under the seat and away from inquisitive, prying, or vandal fingers.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a seat cushion havingsecurable straps fastened to the side portions of said cushion, whereby said cushion is adapted for reversibility, that is, the top side and bottom side of said cushion are adapted to be sat upon free and clear of said straps.

Yet another object is to provide built-in means, in a chair seat, for guarding a cushion adapted therefor against pilfering.

Other specific objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved chair invention showing a part broken away, and the cushion thereon turned up, to disclose one of the slots in the seat of the chair.

FIG. 2 is a section view of the chair taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view, in perspective, drawn to an enlarged scale, of the cushion strap ends secured to each other, showing a turned up portion to disclose the engaging means.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view, drawn to an enlarged scale, showing a detail of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown a chair generally indicated at comprising a horizontally disposed seat 11, supported on leg means generally indicated at 12, and a back 13 extending substantially vertically upwardly from the rear edge of the seat 11.

The side and front edges of the seat 11 are preferably provided with flanges exemplified by those indicated at 14 and 15, respectively, to strengthen the chair. The side flanges contain the cushion, generally indicated at 16, on seat 11. Said flanges have their upper edges outwardly rounded or beaded as indicated at 17.

The leg means 12 may be of any appropriate structure. It here comprises a pair of inverted U-shaped tubular 3,220,767 Fatented Nov. 30, 1965 members each disposed diagonally under the chair seat, and suitably flattened at their zone of intersection, as indicated at 18, and welded thereat to provide a rigid leg framework, the legs of each U-shaped member, such as legs 19 and 21, and 22 and 23, appearing at diametrally opposite corners of the chair seat 11.

Said framework is further provided with a pair of spaced longitudinal bars 24 and 25, see FIG. 2, welded to said leg framework. The seat 11 is secured to said bars, at seat bosses such as indicated at 26 and 27 located at corner portions of seat 11, by any suitable means such as bolts or screws (not shown).

The seat 11, back 13, flanges 14, and headed edges 17 may be integrally formed and molded of fibre glass material. However, it is to be understood that such superstructure may be made in any appropriate manner and of any suitable material.

The back 13 is provided with an opening 28, and the legs with swivel shoe means such as indicated at 29.

Slots 31 and 32 are provided in opposite side portions, respectively, of the seat 11. Said slots are located substantially midway between the front and back edges of said seat 11, but are not limited to such location.

The cushion 16 comprises a foam rubber pad 33 having a top cover 34 and a bottom cover 35 of pleasing appearance. The covers are stitched together at the edges of the pad, as indicated at 36.

A thin pad or sheet of foam rubber 40 may optionally be cemented on seat 11 to provide a friction or resistance element to prevent sliding of the cushion on the seat.

Oppositely disposed straps 37 and 38 are sewed at 370 and 380 to the sides of the cushion, preferably immediately adjacent the slots 31 and 32, respectively.

The free ends of said straps are provided with complementary fastener means. By way of example, I have shown Velcro brand fastener means, generally indicated at 39, one element thereof being element 41 and the other being element 42.

The free end portions of straps 37 and 38 are threaded through adjacent slots 31 and 32, respectively, drawn tautly toward each other, and the complementary fastener elements 41 and 42 pressed unto each other, thereby securely engaging the strap ends. Thus the cushion is secured to the chair seat against unwanted displacement. If desired, a peg or projection 43 can be provided pending from the leg means, to receive eyelets 47 in the ends of said straps, said eyelets to be slipped over said peg to anchor the straps independently of the Velcro or other fastener.

In the event it is desired to reverse the cushion, that is to dispose the bottom cover 35 as a top cover, one merely manually disengages the Velcro fastener means 39, lifts upwardly on the cushion 34 simultaneously withdrawing the straps from their associated slots, then tuming the cushion upside down with a sidewise motion, and finally threading the straps through the adjacent slots and engaging the Velcro fastener as described above.

Some characteristic features of this invention are the provision of a chair seat having oppositely disposed slots at the side portions thereof; and the provision of such slotted chair seat and a cushion therefor, said cushion having oppositely disposed straps threaded through said slots and secured under said seat.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood, that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. The combination with a chair having a seat with front, back and side portions and having apertures in opposite side portions, of a cushion in an operative position overlying the seat between said apertures, strap means connected with the side margins of the cushion adjacent the apertures in the seat and having free ends threaded through said apertures beyond the side margins of the cushion and extending transversely toward each other beneath the seat, and means for securing the free ends of the strap means under the seat for holding said cushion tensioned between said apertures and in operative position on said seat.

2. The combination of a chair seat and cushion according to claim 1 in which the securing means for the free ends of the strap means includes means for detachably connecting said ends with each other.

3. The combination of a chair seat and cushion according to claim 2 in which a thin sheet of rubber is interposed between the seat and the cushion and constitutes means for frictionally resisting the sliding of the cushion on the seat.

4. The combination of a chair having a seat, opposed marginal portions of which are provided with apertures, and having beneath said seat 21 depending peg, a cushion on the seat, and cushion-anchoring strap means connected with the cushion and having portions extending through the apertures and provided beneath the seat with apertured ends detachably engaged with said peg.

5. The combination with a chair seat having a bottom portion and provided at its sides with upstanding flanges reinforcing the seat and pierced with apertures above the level of said bottom portion, a cushion resting on the bottom portion and confined between said flanges, and strap means connected with opposite sides of the cushion adjacent the apertures in said flanges and extending directly from the cushion through said apertures and thence centrally toward each other beneath the bottom portion of the seat, and means for securing beneath said bottom portion the free ends of the strap means for holding the cushion operatively to the seat.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,156,939 10/1915 Smith 297-219 1,256,453 2/1918 Evans 297-219 2,326,937 8/ 1943 Frei 297-219 3,006,689 10/1961 Eppink 297-457 3,025,105 3/1962 Nash 297-457 3,066,323 12/1962 Kintner 5-335 3,111,689 11/1963 Mulhauser. 3,117,819 1/ 1964 Kudriavetz.

FOREIGN PATENTS 904,863 2/ 1954 Germany.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A CHAIR HAVING A SEAT WITH FRONT, BACK AND SIDE PORTIONS AND HAVING APERTURES IN OPPOSITE SIDE PORTIONS, OF A CUSHION IN AN OPERATIVE POSITION OVERLYING THE SEAT BETWEEN SAID APERTURES, STRAP MEANS CONNECTED WITH THE SIDE MARGINS OF THE CUSHION ADJACENT THE APERTURES IN THE SEAT AND HAVING FREE ENDS THREADED THROUGH SAID APERTURES BEYOND BY THE SIDE MARGINS OF THE CUSHION AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TOWARD EACH OTHER BENEATH THE SEAT, AND MEANS FOR SECURING THE FREE ENDS OF SAID STRAP MEANS UNDER THE SEAT FOR HOLDING SAID CUSHION TENSIONED BETWEEN SAID APERTURES AND IN OPERATIVE POSITION ON SAID SEAT. 